WNBA

Pros and Cons of the WNBA’s Bubble

- by Aya Abdeen
WNBA's Bubble

It has been over two weeks since the beginning of the 2020 season in the WNBA’s bubble. Players around the WNBA have been enjoying their time in the bubble as they are making the most of it this season. The question WNBA fans are curious to know, what are the pros and cons of the WNBA’s bubble? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the WNBA’s bubble.

The Pros About The WNBA’s Bubble

The pros the fans found in the WNBA’s bubble is the way the league is promoting with nationally televised games this season. On July 27, ESPN announced that they would expand the games by 13 in these four channels; ESPN, ESPN 2, CBSSN, and ABC. On the season opener that ABC nationally televised on July 25th, the Sparks vs. Mercury game saw a high average of 540,000 viewers and it was the most since 2012. Also, the percentage increased by 20 percent from last season’s opener, and the league is heading in the right direction as the league seems to attract more fans. Earlier on Monday, Twitter announced that they would stream 10 WNBA games live this season.

There has been a lot of close games in the bubble this season. For example, A’ja Wilson scored a game-winning bucket to hand the Aces a thrilling victory over the New York Liberty. She is one of the names to become the league’s MVP this season as she is known for her toughness and her ability to score in the paint and block shots. In this game on Sunday, she led the Aces in scoring with 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

The Activities Players Love To Enjoy

There has been some content brought by the players and coaches spending time doing the activities together in WNBA’s Bubble. Here, Phoenix Mercury teammates Brittney Griner and Bria Hartley spent time painting together earlier on Aug. 9th. Also, there were some food deliveries to the players’ hotels, like Sky guard Kahleah Copper delivering some Nothing Bundt Cakes to the players. And the players having their groceries delivered to their apartments. Earlier in the season, WNBA sponsor AT&T gifted the players new Samsung phones and access to HBO Max TV.

There are many fun activities to do at IMG Academy, like swimming, golf, playing ping pong, and much more. Some players tend to make Tik Tok’s inside the hotel rooms. For example, Lexie Brown and her Lynx teammates dancing to one of the trending songs of Tik Tok; “Who’s next?” Including an appearance by HC Cheryl Reeve at the end of the video. These videos are entertaining and hilarious too. Some players are doing vlogs of how the bubble looks like, at the beginning of arrival to the bubble, Allie Quigley showed fans on Instagram what was inside the villas they were staying at in Bradenton, FL.

Focus On Social Justice In This WNBA’s Bubble Season

This shortened season takes place in Bradenton, Florida, where it’ll be the home for WNBA’s bubble. Last month, the league announced that they would set focus on social justice this season as they put on the BLM logo on the court. Players around the WNBA wear warm-up shirts such as, “Black Lives Matter” and “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor.” Besides, the name of Breonna Taylor is inserted into players’ jerseys to say her name. Layshia Clarendon and Breanna Stewart presented to the fans, who were watching the game from their homes, about how the league is putting hard work to focus on social justice during the season opener.

Safety And Testing Daily For COVID-19

The most critical pro in WNBA’s Bubble is the daily testing and safety in the bubble. Last Friday, the league announced that zero players tested positive for COVID-19 in the bubble since they arrived in Bradenton. A few weeks before arrival, players had to get their COVID-19 tests at their homes to see if they had two negative test results. Most of the players arrived at the bubble, but some players had to do quarantine in their hotel rooms if they tested positive for COVID-19. The only team to delay traveling on time was the Indiana Fever due to two positive tests.

The Cons In The WNBA’s Bubble

There has been a lot of cons in the WNBA’s bubble this season with the one-day rests. There is also no time to either practice or recover. The percentage of one-day vacations increased from 43 percent last season to 74 percent this season. Expecting to have more injuries during the scheduling in this shortened season.

Here, Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi suffered an apparent back injury in the fourth quarter against Seattle last Saturday. Later after the game, the team announced that she did not have any structural damage in her MRI results. Also, she will not be playing in the next few games. The team also stated in the press release that Taurasi’s apparent back injury is not related to the trauma she suffered in the 2019 season.

Thank goodness she is recovering and resting up for a couple of days. Mercury HC Brondello is expecting Diana to come back as soon as she’s fully recovered. Holly Rowe stated that Taurasi’s timetable to return is between day-to-day to week-to-week as she continues to rest from her back injury.

Sabrina Ionescu, who was coming off her first-ever 30-point game, suffered an ankle injury that appears to be a grade three ankle sprain. She traveled to Brooklyn, New York, to see a specialist for her ankle treatment and is excited to conquer her rehab. The New York Liberty announced that she would be out for approximately one month. Early in the season, Lynx G/F Karima Christmas-Kelly suffered an apparent ankle injury, then got carried off in the second quarter during the matchup against Seattle on July 28th. Later on, the Lynx announced that she had ruptured her right Achilles tendon, forcing her to miss the rest of the season and was waived by the team.

The Daily Routine Is Different For All Players

Some games are played at night (10 pm EST) in the WNBA’s Bubble, making it more robust for players to adjust to their schedules this season. Players also had to leave their beloved friends and families to travel to the bubble. Sometimes it is challenging for mothers, who play in the WNBA, to leave their kids and wives. Such as Diana Taurasi, who is married to Penny Taylor, having to leave her son, Leo, and her wife for safety reasons from Phoenix.

DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree did not bring their twin daughters, Cali and Demi, to the bubble. The Next article brought upon how the couples manage their time between playing basketball and spending time with their twins on facetime. Bonner even brought up on how she celebrated the twins’ third birthday virtually:

“They were having so much fun,” Their third birthday party included a bouncy house, a water slide, “tons of gifts,” friends, and custom-made cakes with their favorite characters; right now, that’s Blue’s Clues and Ryan Kaji from the YouTube channel Ryan’s World. The twins are old enough to be affected by a break in their routine—something they wouldn’t have been able to keep up in the bubble—but still young enough to not fully realize Bonner, or Dupree’s, absence when they can be distracted with some of their favorite things.

“It was tough, but I get joy out of them getting joy,” Bonner said. “They had a great birthday and a great time.”

-DeWanna Bonner, Connecticut Sun Forward On The Next

And these are the pros and cons of the WNBA’s Bubble.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @ayaabdeen__ for more content. Follow my Diana Taurasi fan page on Instagram @dtaurasi3_fp. And check out more WNBA articles by the Beyond Women’s Sports team.

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About Aya Abdeen

A 17-year-old diehard Phoenix Mercury Fan who wants to become a journalist for the team one day. I've been into the WNBA since 2016 when I attended my first ever Mercury game. Twitter/Instagram- ayaabdeen__

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